Liquid heater



sem. 29,1925.

W. L.. R. EMME?? LIQUID HEATER Sheets-Sheet l {w1/Q11 for e Wf'mm L, R., Em mei) Sept; Emy @mi LIQUID HEATER *Filed Feb. 10, 192,3 3 sheets-sheet m19 mames?- heater .PATENT filillfilfhld L. IR. ElidET, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW' YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELEG- TRIO COTIIPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK. l

. LIQUID HEATER.

Application led Februaly 10, `1923. Serial No. 618,377.

To all whom it m ag/ concern:

lle it known that l, VILLXAM L. R. EM- Iunfr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Liquid Heaters, of which the following is a speeltication.

The present. invention relates to liquid heaters and particularly to heaters for heat- .ing a liquid used to feed a boiler in a power house, the heat utilized. being that of the furnace after the gas has passed through the boiler. An application off my invention is the heating of the feed mercury used to supply mercury to the mercury boiler of a mercury turbine system such as that dislclosed in my Patent Number 1,167,158, dated January Il, 1916, and features of my invention are particularly well adapted for this application. It will be understood, however, that my invention is not necessarily limited to this use.

A'liquid heater for a liquid such as mercury must be so constructed that the liquid spaces are small because of the small amount of liquid used in the system and the necessity of a rapid transfer of heat to the liquid. At the same time the temperatures involved are high. Furthermore, it is very important that the heater be absolutely tight and tree from leaks. These requirements otter great diiieulties in actual practice for the spaces -must be kept iilled to prevent overheating and all joints must be kept tight and so constructed as not to be affected by expansion and contraction.

The object of my invention, is to provide an improved heater of the above referred to type, and for a consideration of what l believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto. i

in the drawing, Fig. l is an end view ot' a hodying my invention, a fragment at one,2 ,de et' the view being broken away to slicuthe parts behind; Fig. 2 is a top' plan View, the central portion being broken away; Fig. 3 a side vienwith certain part-s broken away; Fic'. l is a transverse sectional view or' one of the liquid grids; Fig. .5 is side view of a grid with one wall g'sfirtly breiten away: Fig. G is a perspective olf :ngliacent grids and a separator; Fig.

7 is an enlarged detail view partly .in section ofthe upper header and a cleansout means for the boiler, and Fig. 8 is a top plan detail View of certain parts.

Referring to the drawing, 10 indicates a hollow rectangular base which is formed of angle irons, the end walls of the base being indicated at 11 and the'side Walls at 12. At 13 are rectangular plates which form the side walls of the heater. Plates 13 lare provided at their lower ends with angle bars 141 which rest on side walls 12 and are fastened. thereto each by a single centrally located bolt 15. This arrangement permits the side plates to expand and contact freely relatively to the base.

Located between side plates 13 are spaced grids 16 through which the liquid to be heated flows. Referring particularly to Figs. si., 5, 6 and 7, each grid'comprises two plates welded together at their edges and held in spaced relation to each other by space ing strips 17, which define a series of spaced vertical passages 18 between the two plates. Strips 17 terminate short of the top and bottom of the grid to provide transverse passages 19 and 20. They are also interrupted adjacent their upper ends to provide a transverse passage-21 and two'or more enlarged vertical passages 2P.` At one lower corner is an'admission opening 22 which communi- Cates with passage 2O and at the diagonally opposite upper corner is a discharge opening '23 which communicates with passage 19.

la opening 23 is a ydam 24C which serves to detine the liquid level in the grid. At the edges of openings 22 and 23 are, flanges 25 and when the grids are assembled in spaced relation to each other flanges 25 are welded together and into'the open side of a trough shaped member to provide upper and lower headers 26 and 27. Connected to lower header 27y is an inlet pipe 28 and connected to upper header is a discharge pipe 29. The grids are held in spaced. relation to each other by separatorsor frames 30 each of .vhich comprises a number of fiat strips 31 held in spaced relation to each other by upper and lower cross'piecesf32 and 33 to which 'the edges of the strip are `.suitably fastened.

The grids are supported on sidewalls 13 by means of a series of plates Sil which lie- 1n transverse grooves 35 in the side walls. The plates 34 in each groove 35 are best lli other. Only part of the grids are connected to the plates, every fourth one being shown connected 1n the present 1n: tance, the connec tion being made by lu'ildcrs 37 which are welded to the edges of the plates-34 by bolts 38.

Grids l'and separators or frames 30 are assembled between side plates i3 and are held in engagement with cach other by end walls grids and lixed to which are yieldingly connected to the side- Walls, the arrangement being such that while the end walls hold the grids and separators tightly together to prevent the walls of the grids from spreading there is sufficient yield in 'the connection to permit of expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. The end walls are required to he strong` to prevent bulging and may with advantage be constructed of a series ol l' beams S9 mountedV between end pla-tes 39 and vertical end bars 40. This gives av rigid wall structure which at the saine time is coi'nparatively light in weight. by a series of rods Lll which pass through openings in bars 40, the webs of l beams 39 and end plates 39a and are fastened at their inner ends to the edges of side walls 13. The outer ends of rods fill. are surrounded by springs 42 located between Washers 4:3 at the ends of the rods and flanges ill on spacing sleeves 45. Sleeves l5 surround rods il and at their inner ends bear against end bars (l0.

- B y this arrangement the and walls are yieldingly connected to the side walls by rods Iii and springs 42.

To prevent leakage atithe corners of the heater when the side walls move away from the end 'Walls l provide scaling" plates i6 bolted to end plates 39" as indicated at fl? and slidingly engaging supports 48 fixed' to side pla-tes 13. Scaling plates 46 are inaintained in slidinfr engagement with supports 48 by bolts 49, theedges of the plates havingl slots 50 through which bolfs 4.9 pass. Fixed on the end Walls 11 of base l0 are thin plates 5l which servo to prevent leakage at these corners.

In header 26 (see Fig. 7) is a box 52 provided with a slot 53 in one side, and connected to box 52 is a shortpipe 54 having;r a Ythreaded end. Pipe is housed in a tube 55 closed at its end by a cap 56. By removing cap 56 and attaching an air hose to pipe 54 the heater may be cleaned by blowing' air through the grids. boxV 52 being;` moved along header 26 to brings; slot 53 successively in line with the openings 28 to the grids. `When cap is in place, pipe 54 is locked to it lby a bayonet connection 57 which serves to hold box 52 in-theposi-tion shown in the drawing.

The end structures are supported assenso v The bayonet connection 57 comprises a longitudinal slot 58 .in the cap 56, which slotI terminates at one end at the inner end of the cap 56. At its oppositeend the slot 58 terminates in a groove 59 in the .wall of a well 60, into which well the outer-end of pipey 54 extends when in the position shown. A pin 61 carried by the pipe 54 is made to lock into the groove 59 by inserting the cap 56 .in the end of tube 55 in such a position that the pin 61 moves through the slot. 58 and enters the groove 59. By rotating' the cap 56 to the position shown, the pin 6]. is then made to move along the groove 59 out of alignment with slot 58 and lie therein Aas shown in the locked position. Being thus locked to cap 56, the box 52 and pipe 54: are prevented from accidentally being; moved outl into the header 26 and obstructing 'the same while the heater is in operation.

The heater may be mounted .in any suitable inanner with. respect to a furnace, the arangoinent being! such that the line gases enter at the top, flow-through between the `ejrids and out at the bottom. rihe liquid to be heated flows through pipe 28 to header 27 and from the header is ,fed through the openings 22 to grids 16, the grids being;r fed'all in parallel. The liquid 'entering a grid` flows along passages 2O and from it vertically upf ward through all the passages 18 to passage 19 trom which it flows over darn 24 to outlet header 26 and thenceto discharge pipe 29. Liquid in ilinvingv tl'iroufgh the grids is thgls divided into a large number of sinali stroains which are brought'into. Contact with. the heatina surfaces of the grids so that arapid exchange of heat takes place. Or, viewed from anolhcraspoct, the-,provision of the spacing; strips 17 ,Lives an extensive surface with which the liquid comes in Contact for transfer of heat from' the gases to the liquid. In some instances. a small amonnt'of vapor may be orn'ied in the grids, and passages 2l and 2la are provided so that any circulation in the lgrids due to the formation of vapors willbe conlined to the upper portions of the Isri-ids. ll vapors are formed ln a grid, the boiling of: the liquid is likely to cause a rapid flow in the passages 18 where boiling occurs and a down flow inother adjacent passages,

and if nissaocs 21 and 21 were not resent 7 The grids andseparators are not'lfastened to each other but are only stacked together and held by the yielding endwalls. This arrangement, while it holds the grids and :lessees other, permits them to expand and contract freely. A heater' of this type is usuallynot ver" wideso that the expansion parallel to the end Walls is .not great and no specialprovisions lare required necessarily to take care ot it; however as will be clear :from the drawin the se arators and the i'na'or ortion ofthe grids are free to expand in this direction, being mounted in spaced relation to side walls 1 i 'strips 17ers preferably connected to cnly In connection with the `grid structure, the

one of the side plates of the grid so that should any bulging of the side plates of a grid,occur no connections 'will beln'olren or the grid in any Way damaged. However, the end walls hold the grids and separators; in such firm engagement that it would he only under unusual circumstances that bulging would be 1liable to occur.

In accordance with the provisions ofthe.

patent statutes, I have described the principleof operation of my invention, together wit-inthe apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, hut l desire tohave it understood that the invention shown is only illustrative. and that the invention may be carried out hy other means.

What I' claim as nevvand desire toseoure by Letters Patentof the United States, is:

l. In a liquid heater, the combination of side walls, end walls, liquid grids between said walls, means which serves to hold said grids in spaced relation and means forming a yielding connection between the side walls and the endwvalls which permits expansion andcontraetion to freely take place in the direction of the eind walls, and which 1naintains said end walls in clamping engagement with 'the grids.

2. ln a liquid heater, the combination of side walls, end walls, liquid grids and sepa rators' between said, vnils, certain oi thc grids beingr supported hy the side walls, the end Walls being movable toward and 'away from/each other and yielding' means connected het'iveen the side Walls and the end walls for moving the latter toward each other into clamping engagement with the adjacent l lgrids thereby maintaining the grids and. sep- P,sagement with said grids, separators holding said grids in spaced relation to each other and definmg passages for a heating medium, said separators and grids being free to expand, and contract independently v of each other, and admission and discharge headers cciinectingsaid. grlds 1n parallel.

5. A grid for aliquid heater, said. grid comprising two plates having longitudinal and transverse edges, fastened together in spaced parallel. relation to each other along' said edges, a plurality of spaced suhstan? tially parallel. strips between the plates extending longitudinally there-olf to torno4 a plurality of longitudinally extending pas sages '-therebetween, said strips termiiniting,r short of the transverse edges, whereby are formed transverse passages connecting the ends of the first-named passages, and said 'strips being,l interrupted adjacent and substantially parallel with one of saidtrans verse passages to form an intermediate. transverse passage also connecting said firstnamed passages.

6L A ,.grid i'or a liquid heater, said ,grid comprising tufo plates having longitudinal and transverse edges 'fastened together in spaced parallel relation to each other along said edges, aplurality of spaced substantially parallel strips between the plates extending longitudinally thereof to form a plurality of'long'itudinally extending' pas sages therebetween, said strips terminating short of the transverse edges, whereby are formed transverse passages connecting the ends of the irst-named passages, said` strips being; interrupted adjacent and substantially parallel with one of said transverse passages to form an intermediate transverse passa-ge Valso connecting' said first-named passages, and that portion of certain of the strips between the intermediate transverse passage and the more adjacent transverse end pase sage being' removed whereby certain of the longitudinal passages are enlarged between said last-named transverse passages.

7. A grid for u liquid heater, said ,qi-id comprising' two plaies havingr longitudinal und transverse edges `faistened together ,in spaced parallel relation to each other along said edges,y a plurality of spaced. snhstantially pin-alici strips between the plates eX tending longitudinally thereof to form a plurality of longitudinally extending passages therebetween, saidstrips terminating short of the trzinsverse edges, whereby are formed transverse passages connecting the ends of the first-named passages, saidstrips beine: interrupted adjacent and substantially i parallel with one oi" said transverse pas sages to Jform an intermediate transverse passage also connecting said first-named passages, and that portion of certain of the strips between the intermediate transverse passage and the more adjacent transverse end passage being removed, and ineens in` opposite edges of the gridy having flanged openings and providing conduit connections :for the grid,

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8. In a liquidheater, the combination a base, a casing on the base, said casing comprising vertical side and end Walls, the latter being movable and resiliently connected with the side walls, a plurality of parallel liquid-condiicting grids in thecasing, separators holding said grids in spaced relation to each other and defining passages for a heating medium, said sepaiators and grids eing clamped together between the. end walls. transversely slidable supporting means for the grids carried by the side walls, and liquid admission and discharge headers connecting said grids in parallel.

9. In a liquid heater, the combination of a base, a casing on the-base, said casing com prising vertical side walls which are secured to the base substantially midway of the lengthof their lower edges and movable ver tical end walls, means forming 'a resilient connection between .the vside walls and the end walls for pressing saidend walls in- Wardly of the casing toward each other,l a plurality of parallel liquid-conducting grids in the casing, separators holding said grids in spaced relation to each other and defining passages for a heating medium, said separators and grids being clamped together between' the end walls, supporting means for the grids .carried by the side walls, said 'means comprising transverse` grooves in the side Walls and plates which lie in said grooves, and liquid admission and discharge headers connecting said 10. In a liquid heater', the combination of of a base, a asing grids in parallel.

on said liaise, said casing comprising vertical side and end Walls, tlie side walls eing secured to the base substantially midway of the length of their lower edges, means forming a resilient connection between the side walls and the end walls for pressing the end Walls inwardly of the casing toward each other, said means comprising a series of rods joining the vertical edges of the side walls and extending outwardly therefrom in the vplanes of said walls, a spring on each rod and a series of Lbeams pressed by the springs into engagement with the end walls, a plurality of parallel liquid conducting grids in the casing, separators holding said grids in spaced relation Vto each other and defining passages for a heating medium, said separators and grids being held in clamped engagementwith each other by the end walls, supporting means for the grids carried by the side Walls, said means comprising transverse grooves in the side walls and plates which lie in said grooves, certain of said plates grooves and certain other of said plates being slidable `in said grooves, and liquid admission anddischarge headers connecting said grids in parallel, said headerseacli comprising :i trough-shaped member having an open side and flanges adjacent openings in the grids, which iia'nges are joined together and to the member to close said open side.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day 'of February, 1923.

WILLIAM L. n. EMMET.

being secured in said 

